Knock, Knock. Who’s There? … It’s me, Mr. Water Hammer!
I am happy to report the questions keep coming in, although many are not suitable to put in print. Please keep the questions related to construction and home ownership issues. Marital advice and Vegan recipes are not in my wheelhouse!
This week’s question came from Kim B who asks: Every time the hall toilet is flushed it rattles the wall and ceiling and continues to vibrate until the toilet has filled. My husband replaced the pressure regulator last year because he thought that was the problem. It didn’t do a thing, and continues to be very annoying, especially when we have guests. What do you suggest?
When you say annoying, I assume you mean the noise and not your husband…or both maybe? We call this condition water hammer, and can be tough on your water piping system. In any event, the pressure regulator was a good start, as many plumbing issues can be traced back to high water pressure, so go easy on your hubby as he was on the right track. We like to see the pressure set at between 50-60 PSI, no more. If your pressure is within that range, I would replace the fill valve on the toilet. Many times, on older fill valves (also called ball cocks), the sealing washer becomes hard and brittle and can chatter as the toilet completes its fill cycle, amplifying the sound through the piping creating the sound you describe. If you have a swimming pool with an auto fill, the same advice applies.
If you are handy, it is a pretty easy fix, if you are not so handy, we are…so please feel free to give us a call, or for anyone born after the turn of the century, you can schedule online. At Craig Plumbing good advice and estimates are always free!
Since 1984
craigplumbing.net
Lake Havasu (928) 453-7173
